HOOKER
HOOKER.
Bristoe Station, August 27, where he resisted the
attack of EwelFs division, lestored foiniuuaica-
tion vvitli the National capital. He fought in the
second battle of Manassas, August 29, and at
Chantilly, September 1, turning Lee's victorious
army from the direction of Washington to the
Upper Potomac. In reorganizing the army after
the disastrous campaign of Pojie he was assigned
to the command of the first corps, and at Soutli
Mountain, Sept. 14, 1862, his timely arrival se-
cured a victory for the U.S. troops. At Antie-
tam, Sept. 17, 1862, he led the right wing in the
flank movement against "Stonewall" Jackson's
old division at the Dunker church, Sharjisburg,
which was the feature of that battle. He was
severely wounded in the foot during the engage-
ment, and while his corps was pursuing the flee-
ing Confederates, he was carried from the field.
On Nov. 5, 1862, McClellan was removed from
the command of the Army of the Potomac and
General Burnside assumed command, Nov. 9,
1862. General Hooker was assigned to the com-
mand of the center grand division, his command
including the 3d corps under Stoneman and the
25tli corps under Butterfield, and after the army
was encamped about Warrenton, Va., he took
possession of Falmoutli on the Rappahannock
river preparatory to an attack on Fredericksburg.
In the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, Dec.
13, 1862, Butter field's corps covered the with-
drawal of the Union army in the face of the guns
of the victorious Confederates. On Jan. 23, 1863,
General Burnside prepared an order, dishonor-
ably dismis-iing General Hooker from the service
and at the same time dishonorably dismissing
three other general officers, and relieving five
others from duty. He submitted these orders
known as No. 8 to the President, and asked that
they be approved or his own resignation ac-
cepted. The President relieved General Burn-
side of the command, Jan. 26, 1863, and placed
the Army of the Potomac under the command of
General Hooker, accompanying the order with a
letter of advice, which that officer received with
due consideration and at once acted on. He
set about to reorganize the army and to over-
come the spirit of insubordination among the
officers, and that of disregard to discipline ap-
parent everywhere among the men; andabolislied
grand divisions, making each corps commander
personally responsible to the commanding gen-
eral. He also consolidated the scattered cavalry
regiments into a corps composed of three di-
visions, all under command of Gen. George Stone-
man. He completed and instituted a system of
corps, division and brigade badges, and in the
spring of 1863, had an army that was beyond
question the best that liad ever been marshalled
under an American soldier. He forced the
enemy to attack him at Chancellorsville, which
was done with unexpected vigor, and Jackson's
flank movement. May 1, 1863, turned Hooker's
right, throwing it in confusion on the center,
General Hooker, while directing the battle from
the portico of the Chancellor house, was leaning
against a pillar, which was struck by a cannon
ball and he was so stunned as to be for a consid-
erable time senseless. He did not recover his
judgment sufficiently to transfer his command,
the while General Meade commanding the 5th
corps was awaiting the arrival of Gen. Darius M.
Couch, his ranking officer and commander of the
2d corps, then in a distant part of the field, the
army was virtually without a commander. The
Confederates took full advantage of the situation
to strengthen their position and push the retreat-
ing columns of the Union army, which, never-
theless, held their position for two days. Upon
the arrival of General Couch to assume command,
lie withdrew the Federal forces to the north bank
of the river and the two armies marched in par-
allel lines northward. Hooker, who had re-
covered and resumed command, provided for the
safety of Washington and Baltimore while Eee
directed his march toward Chambersburg. Pa.
General Hooker prepared to evacuate Harper's
Ferry, in order to render available the force of
General French, who had 11,000 men at that
place. W^hen this was refused by General Hal-
leck. General Hooker asked to be relieved if lie
could not command his own army in the face of
the enemy, and the President accepted tli.e alter-
native, and placed Gen. George G. Meade in com-
mand, June 27, 1863. In a few days Harper's
Ferry was evacuated and shortly afterward the
army under General Meade fought and won the
battle of Gettysburg. Congress recognized Gen-
eral Hooker's services in a resolution thanking
him for " the skill, energy, and endurance, which
first covered Washington and Baltimore from the
meditated blow of the advancing and powerful
army of rebels led by General Robert E. Lee."
He retired to Baltimore, Md., and on Sept. 24,
1863, was assigned to the command of the 11th
and 12th army corps, subsequently consolidated
as the 20th corps, which troops he transported by
railroad to relieve General Rosecrans at Chat-
tanooga. He met and defeated the enemy at
Wauhatchie, where their best troops made a
night attack hoping to turn the Federal reinforce-
ments back at the last defile by which Rosecrar.s'
army of the Cumberland could be reached. He
marched into Lookout valley, Oct. 27-28, and
thus reopened a line of conmiunication with
the provision steamers on the river. On Novem-
ber 24, lie was directed to make a demonstration
with Geary's division against the fortified heights
on Lookout mountain, while the main army,
